head hitting

Post Reply New Topic

This

me.

I don't think I could handle that kind of therapy, I understand that the more I'm exposed to situations that are overwhelming I can deal with them slightly better each time but there's always some point that I need to back out or it gets ugly.

I use my palms rather than fists too.

Only when in meltdown territory, i.e. stressed, hungry and / or tired...
If I can minimise the triggers, I don't have meltdowns too often. They usually only happen when things are pretty bad, which never helps.

I do. And I can't really control it so I do it in public too. It seems like people find it scary.

I never understood this, but since you describe it this way, I think I relate. Does this feel like an irresistible self-deprecating outburst? Thankfully, for me, I do not have an urge to physically self-injure or hit my head but internally I have outbursts of emotion that cause me to scold the hell out of myself all day long. Is that part of it? When I'm really, really stressed I will verbally blurt out the dialogues that I'm hearing in my head, but usually I only allow myself to do this when I'm alone. I have a lot of NT skills at my command AND I'm good at hiding traits like this! I have other self-destructive behaviors, though that are harder to control - so I can still relate to this.

Last edited by EmeraldGreen on 23 Jan 2014, 10:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Yes.I have hot my head with my fists,banged it on the floor,against the wall,and on one extreme time I picked up a piece of wood and hit myself in the head.Its is a trapped feeling,lots of pressure and it has to go somewhere.It rarely happens now,but it could if I was extremely over stressed.

Both of my kids do this. Mostly the younger, but occasionally the elder will as well.

I don't recall doing this, personally.

That's how I used to do it, too.

I have tried to start learning this habit, I have actually broken my right hand and am now having trouble with it

ah hell, is this another common thing?
yes, when I'm very upset I have an irresistible urge to slam my head on the wall, but immediately regret it after as I'm very paranoid about concussions.

I always assumed this was more related to my SI problems though? then again, the head slamming is instant impulse, whereas my other habits are things that I can see coming for moments or hours before. thoughts from anyone?

also, generally speaking, hitting myself on the body has always been the most effective way for me to sedate myself when i'm losing it. that's actually how my SI started.
seriously, I need to be evaluated, because if I do have ASD it explains so much of my life.

I felt relief to see that others did this.I never met anyone in person that did.I felt a lot of shame about it.Wondered why I felt the overwhelming urge to do this.

My husband did with his hands, and on things like a table/wall, full force.

He stop doing it when I am in the home, because I just can't see someone with a bloody and bruised head. I can't stomach the sounds of punches, slaps, sound of head hitting a hard object and the screams.

He stopped when I said I was leaving with our daughter.

I don't know how he stopped or what stim took it's place.

My husband's family was perfectly fine with him doing it. They'd find him unconscious with a bloody head on the flood. They thought he was being a drama queen, and figured he'd stop if it hurt enough. So for 20 odd years, they let him pound his head on the wall to his heart's content.

He actually thought it was a good coping skill and release. (????)

I know people on the spectrum do it.

Not been aggressive with all my physical strength.

I don't hit my head repeatedly, but I'll hit my head once, and if it doesn't feel powerful enough, I might hit another couple of times until I felt it was hard enough.

Sometimes I do it on a wall, sometimes I get heavy hardback books, for example my complete collection of Sherlock Holmes, and I whack my forehead on that. I don't knock myself out, I just get annoyed and need to hit my head for some reason.

I try not to do that now. I think I damaged enough brain cells.